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Psychology > Consciousness > Flashcards

Consciousness Flashcards

1
Q

What is consciousness?

A

The subjective awareness of mental events

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2
Q

What is consciousness often defined by?

A

Contrasts

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3
Q

What are the two main functions of consciousness?

A

Monitoring of the self and the environment and regulating thought and behaviour

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4
Q

Recent evidence suggests what are of the brain is activated when conscious control is exercised?

A

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

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5
Q

What is the Stroop task?

A

Participants are presented a word (name of a colour) printed in colour and have to name the colour quickly while ignoring the word

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6
Q

What are states of consciousness?

A

Different patterns of subjective experience, including ways of experiencing internal and external events

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7
Q

What is attention?

A

The process of focusing conscious awareness, providing heightened sensitivity to an experience

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8
Q

What has attention been likened to by scientists and what phenomenon is associated?

A

A filtering process; cocktail party phenomenon

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9
Q

When does mind wandering occur?

A

When conscious thoughts do not remain on topic and the brain processes additional, unrelated sensory information

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10
Q

What is selective inattention?

A

The process of diverting attention from information that may be relevant but emotionally upsetting

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11
Q

What are the three functions attention consists of?

A
  • Orienting to sensory stimuli
  • Controlling behaviour and the contents of consciousness
  • Maintaining alertness
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12
Q

What does orienting involve?

A

Turning sensory organs towards a stimulus

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13
Q

What is divided attention?

A

Splitting attention between two complex tasks

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14
Q

What are dichotic listening tasks?

A

Participants are fitted with earphones, different information is simultaneously presented to both ears

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15
Q

What is shadowing?

A

The process of attend to only the information from one ear

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16
Q

What is daydreaming?

A

Turning attention away from external stimuli to internal thoughts and imagined scenarios

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17
Q

Freud defined consciousness as one of what three mental systems?

A

The conscious (subjective awareness), preconscious (not presently conscious but readily available) and unconscious (inaccessible to consciousness)

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18
Q

What is subliminal perception?

A

Perception of stimuli below the threshold of consciousness

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19
Q

What does cognitive unconsciousness focus on?

A

Information-processing mechanisms that operate outside awareness

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20
Q

What are circadian rhythms?

A

Cyclical biological clocks that evolved around the daily cycles of light and dark

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21
Q

What does sleep appear to be involved in?

A
  • Conservation of energy
  • Restoration
  • Growth & muscle development
  • Consolidation of memory
  • Creative thinking
22
Q

What do circadian rhythms produce?

A

Periodic variations in alertness, body temperature and hormonal secretion

23
Q

What do alpha waves indicate?

A

Slowing of mental activity and a transition into sleep

24
Q

How many stages of NREM sleep are there?

A

Four

25
Q

What appears during stage 1 of NREM sleep?

A

Slower theta waves

26
Q

What occurs during stage 2 of NREM sleep?

A

EEG pattern of slightly larger waves interrupted by sleep spindles and K-complexes

27
Q

What appears during stage 3 of NREM sleep?

A

Large, slow, rhythmic delta waves

28
Q

What is delta sleep characterised by?

A

Relaxed muscles, decreased respiration rate and lower body temperature

29
Q

What is REM sleep?

A

Rapid eye movement sleep

30
Q

When does most dreaming occur?

A

During REM sleep

31
Q

How often do the cyclical stages of REM sleep repeat?

A

About every 90 minutes

32
Q

What are the three perspectives of dreaming?

A

Psychodynamic (Freud), cognitive and biological

33
Q

What are some of the costs of sleep deprivation?

A

Impaired attention, reaction time, cognitive speed/accuracy, motor coordination and decision-making

34
Q

What is insomnia?

A

Chronic inability to sleep

35
Q

What is narcolepsy?

A

Irresistible compulsion to sleep

36
Q

What is the difference between nightmares and night terrors?

A

Nightmares occur during REM sleep, making an individual feel helpless; night terrors are abrupt partial wakenings from non-REM sleep characterised by extreme fright

37
Q

What is hypnosis?

A

An altered state of consciousness characterised by deep relaxation and suggestibility

38
Q

What is hypnosis used to produce?

A

Hallucinations, disinhibition, hypnotic analgesia

39
Q

What does the dissociation hypothesis of hypnosis suggest?

A

Hypnosis splits consciousness into two streams of awareness

40
Q

What does meditation create?

A

A deep state of tranquillity by altering the normal flow of conscious thoughts

41
Q

How does meditation work?

A

By focusing on a simple stimulus, an individual shuts down the normal flow of self-conscious inner dialogue

42
Q

What are the two styles of meditation?

A

Focused attention and open-monitoring (attention directed to the content of one’s moment-to-moment experience)

43
Q

How do narcotics alter consciousness?

A

By creating an overwhelming sense of euphoria and relaxation

44
Q

How do depressants alter consciousness?

A

By decreasing CNS activation & behavioural activity

45
Q

How do stimulants alter consciousness?

A

By creating an alert state of euphoria

46
Q

How do hallucinogens alter consciousness?

A

By altering sensory perceptions

47
Q

How does marijuana/cannabis alter consciousness?

A

By creating a mild, relaxed euphoria & enhanced sensory awareness

48
Q

What are the two most dangerous types of drugs?

A

Narcotics and depressants

49
Q

How can recreational drug use affect health?

A

Triggering an overdose, producing physiological damage and causing health impairing behaviour

50
Q

What do the drug effects on consciousness depend on?

A

Biological actions of the drug and expectations of the drug effect

Psychology (10 decks)

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